HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0385.055 2012-2014 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura
From: 4 Ag Hawaii [HawaiisAgriculturalPartnerships @msn.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2013 12:26 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: 4 Ag Hawaii, Inc. Bills 109 & 113 Council Committee on Public Safety
Attachments: 4 Ag BI Bills 109 & 113.pdf
Aloha
Attached please find our Opposition testimony for Bills #109 and #113
Mahalo for your consideration
4 Ag Hawaii, Inc.
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Comm. No ✓ 85, 55
Ref. To: /174'.41
Ref. Date SEP 64 ZU13
9/3/2013
4 HAWAII
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Hawaii County Council
Committee on Public Safety & Mass Transit
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 @ 1:30
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Committee Chair Ford and Members of the Committee
4 Ag Hawaii embraces our RIGHT TO FARM methodology as established in Hawaii's
HRS Chapter 165 as well as the United States of America laws regulating same.
We strongly oppose Bills #109 & #113 as we believe it discriminates against our
farmers and ranchers who may choose to use Federally & State approved genetic
engineered technology to grow safe and wholesome food and other agriculture
products. These Bills will also damage Hawaii's reputation for producing some of the
freshest, healthiest foods & products around as well as eventually severely impact our
rich agricultural heritage and arguably most importantly our worsening Food Security.
4 Ag Hawaii is a non-profit 501[c] [3] Hawaii corporation established as a public-private
partnership focused on goals that include: promoting the agricultural economic welfare
of Hawaii and its counties; conducting agricultural economic; educational & media
programs, and fostering statewide interest for responsible agricultural economic
development of our islands. Our all volunteer group has decades of extensive Ranching
& Farming experience including management of the former RETAH program on Hawaii
Island & throughout the State.
Where Does Your Food Come From?
Unfortunately the answer is a sad commentary as Hawaii continues to import 90% of
our food and that has risen from 85% only a few years ago despite all of the efforts of
various groups to highlight the "Buy Local, It Matters" message.
It does however raise the question of whether Hawaii Agriculture will ever be
sustainable. We need to drastically improve our food self-sufficiency and become an
integral component of Hawaii's future diversified economy. As we were growing up we
were always told that we needed to recognize our potential and that's what we believe
www,4AgHawaii,org
our family owned farmers & ranchers are doing. This legislation would severely harm
this effort.
Hawaii Agriculture is at a critical point of its development. Its future requires all of us to
work together — all farmers should be accorded their right to farm as they choose with
whatever Federal & State approved technologies are available to them. It's just a basic
lesson we learned long ago — get along with your neighbors — communicate and co-
exist even if your views differ.
We must support all methodologies of Hawaii Agriculture — traditional; organic;
approved technologies — big and small. We must work together and co-exist without
inflammatory rhetoric for the good of Hawaii Agriculture. It is paramount that all factions
understand their responsibility to Hawaii Agriculture as a whole.
We strongly believe that all types of agriculture should present a positive message to
consumers and not provide detrimental information about the others. Hawaii's Food
Security is already precarious and not to WORK TOGETHER is a perilous strategy for
our Island State.
This proposed legislation is not the answer.
'iea ,e listen to the farmers ar`:a ranchers who work tirelessly each an every aay
to put food on our table as they have lived the "story" not just read about the
issues..
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on this matter.
www.4AgHawaii.org